John nagele



(,No Model.)

J. NAGELE. :GAR FENDER. No. 492,423. Patented Feb. 28, 1893.

\ /WA7M47LVENTOR UNTTED STATES PATENT O FICE.

JOHN NAGELE, OF CLARENDON, AItKANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MIDDLETON J. MANNING, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,423, dated February 28, 1893.

Application filed March 24, 1892. Serial No.426,289- (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN NAGELE, a resident of Clarendon, in the county of Monroe and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Oar-Fenders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to fenders for. vehicles and has for its object to provide efficient means for preventing persons or objects falling under the wheels of the car and it consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; and Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged details.

Numeral 1 indicates a platform or drivers stand, 2 a railing or guard supported on the same, 3 a part of the running gear frame or truck, 4 a wheel and 5 a track. These devices may be of any desired variety and do not constitute the present invention.

At 6 on each side of the car is firmly secured a spring 7 which is preferably bent downwardlyand outwardly in front of its point of attachment and extended forwardly to a point in advance of the car platform. The springs when not under compression are approximately parallel with each other and with the car track and situated in vertical planes near the track as indicated in dotted lines in the plan View of the drawings. In use their free ends are brought together and secured bya catch or fastening 8 of such character that it is readily released, as for example by a blow or pressure on the outside of one of the springs. 9 indicates somewhat similar springs secured to the platform and having their front ends detachably fastened together in like manner. The upper springs are situated within the lower ones as represented.

l0 denotes wire or rope netting or cloth or other equivalent secured to such spring and to the guard rail of the platform as shown.

In operation if any person or object is struck by the springs or by eitherof them or bythenet,

or if anything falls or is thrown against them the catch or catches 8 are thereby released by the consequent inward movement of the end of the spring or springs which movement puts the springs under a higher compression and by their resilient force the object is thrown aside from the track. The net prevents anything from passing between or overthe springs and a blow or pressure on said net will also release one or both pair of springs so that they will act substantially as described. Thus a person inadvertently stepping in front of a moving car would be pushed or thrown laterally out of the way of the car body and car wheels and the action of the springs would obviate dangerous concussion. Moreover the not would distribute the momentum of the car over a considerable part of the person and avoid the concentrated blow which might otherwise be received. The spring would operate to some extent without the net. More than two pair of springs can be employed and if several pairs were used a part of the advantage of the net would be thereby secured. The preferred form however has been illustrated.

The device may be applied to either or both ends of a car and is especially suitable for electric, cable, or steam street cars made up in trains and moving at considerable speed, there being always danger that an absent minded, feeble or inexperienced passenger will step from the rear of a train in front of one moving in the opposite direction or be thrown or fall under the front of a car as he steps to the ground from its predecessonor that he will be overtaken at a crossing or elsewhere.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a car or like vehicle the safety fender consisting of springs secured rigidly to the car on each side thereof and connected verti cally by a net and having their outer ends connected to each other by catches adapted to be automatically disengaged by exterior pressure on either spring; substantially as set forth.

2. In a car or like vehicle the safety fender consisting of two pair of springs secured rigthe platform, both pairs being detachably connected at their outer ends, and a net connecting said springs to each other and to the step and guard rail; substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN NAGELE. Witnesses:

R. J. TORRY, J. P. LEE. 

